■ Plant or sow in full sun. In hot climates, select venues with afternoon shade.
■ Provide well-drained soil that’s on the sandy side and, preferably, slightly acidic. In hot locations, mulch heavily.
■ Maintain soil on the dry side, because many varieties are subject to leaf mildew.
■ Fertilize lightly. (Heavy nitrogen encourages vegetative growth over flower production.)
■ Deadhead tall varieties for increased blooms.
■ In the Deep South, where powdery mildew is often a problem, discard plants in late summer, and introduce a new crop for autumn blooming.
■ In northern venues, sow seeds in germination trays indoors in early spring, and then relocate the sizable plants outdoors following the last frost.…
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Capper's Farmer (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2020